Pt.a Casa Tolo

The Casa Tolo by portuguese architect Alvaro Leite Siza Vieira.

This building located on a steep hill in northern portugual It consists of a holiday home with three bedrooms, a social bathroom, a living room, a dining room, a small kitchen with a support washbasin, pantry, and even a small outdoor swimming pool.

As an Environmental Filter

The terrain is sharply inclined, long and narrow. However, the site is able to receive solar exposure and to enjoy a particular natural view. The house begins at the top of the hill as the main entrance where car transit was possible and slowly reveals itself as you descend down the outdoor staircase. Rather than cantilevering out or digging into the site, this weekend house

To work with the environment instead of fighting the natural environment, the roof functions simultaneously as pavement support for the garden .Also the architect has used the slope as the home's main characteristic by positioning the weekend house at the center of the lot and acting as a stairway into nature through a combination of tumbling concrete blocks and staircases cascading effortlessly down the almost 33 degree site. This has preserved all the pre-existing trees as they maintain a strong presence in the area, as well as to preserve continuity with the immediate surroundings and to ensure its original characteristics.

 As a Container of Human Activities

Casa Tolo was Designed as a weekend family retreat, and a great piece of architecture .

Each concrete block contains a particular function with opened areas within it, however it’s still a private space because of the sequence of interior spaces that follows the slope.

The house begins with an office from the top of the hill, drops down to the main living, dining, and kitchen area which is partially dug into the earth. The three bedrooms are identical cubes with 45 degree orientations to the main axis of the house creating private zones for dress and laundry. A water pool concludes the slope, whilst intermediate levels offer spaces for sitting, reflecting, tanning, and outdoor showering (Pearson, 2006, 129).

 As a Delightful Experience

For Casa Tolo, the material and construction techniques are basic. However  Raw concrete dominates a Strong sculptural exterior whist parts of the flat roof are grassed over to soften the loud impact upon the landscape. The interiors are white walled and wooden floored creating a sense of neutrality for an unpretentious lifestyle.

The house provides a delightful experience for the user. it is as much about the journey as it is the materials and tectonics. The facade is almost invisible when looking from the main street. the way the spaces that unfold down the slope surprise the visitor and the house takes the user on a journey down the slope both internally and externally, revealing breathtaking views from all angles.